Roasted Pear Salad

I love roasting fruits for salads when the cooler months hit.  One of the best fruits to roast which is in season right now is bosc pears.  They stand up well to cooking, and if you get some perfectly ripe ones, they take little time to roast into deliciousness.  They are wonderful in a salad with peppery greens and some sort of cheese; it is why I am sharing a recipe here using a vegan chevre made from heart healthy macadamias and some micro radish greens which you can find in the produce section by the salads at Fresh and Natural.  This is a smaller salad to be used as a side dish. If you wanted it something more substantial for a meal, you could add toasted walnuts and more greens such as arugula underneath the pears.

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

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Servings: 4 Servings | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Ready in: 30 minutes (plus chilling ahead of time for the chevre)

Ingredients

• Nut Chevre (or Regular Chevre available in the deli):
• 1 cup raw macadamia nuts (soaked in filtered water for 4 hours and drained)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• Pears:
• 4 bosc pears, quartered and seeds removed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• Dressing:
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Sea salt to taste
• 1 pkg radish micro greens (or other peppery greens)

Instructions

To make the nut cheese, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender with a couple Tbsp filtered water and blend until smooth, (adding a little more water if necessary and using the tamper to press the mixture down into the blade). Place in a double lining of cheesecloth, and place in a bowl in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

To make the pears, toss them with the Tbsp olive oil and maple syrup and spread them out on a foil lined sheet pan. Roast at 475 F degrees, for about 15-20 minutes until tender and starting to brown at the edges.

Meanwhile, whisk together the dressing. Remove the pears from the oven and let cool a few minutes, then place on a plate, place some of the micro greens around them, then crumble some of the nut chevre over it then drizzle with the dressing. Serve warm or at room temperature.